On the Run! (Jay Chou album)

On the Run!
Studio album by
Jay Chou
Released2 November 2007 (2007-11-02)
Recorded2007
Genre
Length39:10
LanguageMandarin
Label
ProducerJay Chou
Jay Chou chronology
Secret
(2007) 		On the Run!
(2007) 		2007 The World Tour
(2008)
Singles from Capricorn
  1. "Cowboy On the Run"
    Released: 10 October 2007
  2. "Blue and White Porcelain"
    Released: 2 November 2007
  3. "Rainbow"
    Released: 2 November 2007
  4. "Sunshine Nerd"
    Released: 2 November 2007

On the Run! or known as I'm Very Busy (Chinese: 我很忙; pinyin: Wǒ hěn máng) is the eighth studio album by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou, released on 2 November 2007 by JVR Music & Sony BMG.[1] It features various tracks including "Blue and White Porcelain", "Rainbow", and "A Dandelion's Promise".

Background and development

On the Run! is Chou's first album released under his self-founded label, JVR Music.[2] After his contract with his former company expired, Chou chose not to renew and instead launched his own label. Chou subsequently found himself frequently occupied with managing the company, concert performances, commercials, and movies; it was from then where the concept of the album emerged. Chou noted that the album title served as a form of self-mockery, reflecting both his hectic lifestyle and a sense of helplessness with constant demands.[3]

Talking about the album's development, Chou commented, "Generally, the creation of my album usually starts with music before the concept, but this time I did it the other way around. I came up with ideas of the concepts first and the style was more western and retro. I have never tried this style in any of my previous albums, and I like it very much."[4]

Songs

"Cowboy on the Run" embodies a American Western cowboy motif. It portrays a cowboy who "only drinks milk and not wine, and only rides donkeys and not horses." Unlike the often somber and reflective cowboys in media, Chou sought to portray a dynamic cowboy driven by a strong sense of justice.[4] The love song "Rainbow" features a simple guitar melody that evokes a bittersweet feeling, while "Blue and White Porcelain" utilizes traditional Jiangnan opera styles.[2]

Commercial performance

On the Run! was commercially successful. It debuted at number one on the G-Music combo album chart in Taiwan during the week of 8 November 2007.[5] Across Asia, the album sold 1,070,000 copies within one day of becoming available.[6] In Singapore, the album was certified platinum for exceeding sales of 10,000 units. The tracks, "Cowboy is Very Busy", "Rainbow", and "Sunshine Nerd", are listed at number 11, number 28, and number 59 respectively on the Hit FM Top 100 Singles of the Year chart.[7]

Accolades

The album was nominated for five Golden Melody Awards and won Song of the Year, Best Composer, and Best Lyricist for "Blue and White Porcelain".[8] The album also won an IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award for Top 10 Best Selling Mandarin Album of the Year.[9]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2008 Golden Melody Awards Song of the Year "Blue and White Porcelain" Won
Best Mandarin Album On the Run! Nominated
Best Composer Jay Chou for "Blue and White Porcelain" Won
Best Lyricist Vincent Fang for "Blue and White Porcelain" Won
Best Musical Arranger Baby Chung for "Blue and White Porcelain" Nominated

Track listing

All music is composed by Jay Chou

On the Run! – Standard edition
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Cowboy On the Run" (牛仔很忙)Alang Huang2:46
2."Rainbow" (彩虹)Jay Chou4:21
3."Blue and White Porcelain" (青花瓷)Vincent Fang3:57
4."Sunshine Nerd" (陽光宅男)Vincent Fang3:40
5."A Dandelion's Promise" (蒲公英的約定)Vincent Fang4:05
6."Incomparable" (無雙)Vincent Fang3:51
7."Not Good Enough for You" (我不配)Vincent Fang4:46
8."Pull Apart" (扯)Vincent Fang3:28
9."Sweet" (甜甜的)Vincent Fang4:01
10."The Longest Movie" (最長的電影)Jay Chou3:55
Total length:38:50
On the Run! – DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Cowboy on the Run" (牛仔很忙) 
2."Not Good Enough for You" (我不配) 
Total length:0:00

Charts

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Singapore (RIAS)[10] Platinum 10,000*
Summaries
Asia — 1,070,000[6]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ^ Best-selling albums of the year in Taiwan as reported by media outlets

References

  1. ^ (in Chinese) "On the Run album info" JVR Music. 1 November 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2011
  2. ^ a b "周杰伦《我很忙》颠覆形象 展现真实生活状态_音乐频道_凤凰网" [Jay Chou's "I'm Busy" subverts his image and shows his real life]. yue.ifeng.com (in Chinese). 13 October 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  3. ^ "大耳机：岁月不仅是把杀猪刀，岁月也是周杰伦". Tencent Entertainment (in Chinese). 30 October 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b "周杰伦新专辑《我很忙》11月2日全球同步发行" [Jay Chou's new album "I'm Busy" will be released worldwide on November 2]. Tencent Entertainment (in Chinese). 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b "G-Music Combo Album Chart – Week 44 of 2007" (in Chinese). G-Music. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  6. ^ a b "周董老实说 《我很忙》全亚洲铺货107万张(图)" [Jay Chou's "I'm Busy" sold 1.07 million copies in Asia (Photo)]. CCTV (in Chinese). 2 November 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  7. ^ (in Chinese) "Hit Fm Annual Top 100 Singles Chart- 2007 (#51 to 100)" HITO Radio. Retrieved 29 June 2011
  8. ^ (in Chinese) "19th Golden Melody Awards winners list" Archived 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine GIO, Taiwan. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 2011-06-06
  9. ^ 2007 "IFPI Hong Kong Album Sales Awards winners list" Archived 17 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 19 April 2011
  10. ^ "Singapore album certifications – Jay Chou – On the Run". Recording Industry Association Singapore. Retrieved 18 February 2023.


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